Unit 2 Plants for Food and Fibre

POS K3-investigate and describe characteristics of different soils and their major component (e.g., distinguish among clayey soils, sandy soils and soils rich in organic content; investigate and describe particle sizes, compaction and moisture content of soil samples) Identify practices that may enhance or degrade soils in particular applications

Topic 5 Soil

Onions have layers

Horizons-layers

What makes soils different? Parent Material Water retention ability, Porosity Nutrients (Fertilization)

Is this soil good?

Qualities of “good dirt” Bacteria, decomposers (worms) are present Dark black color Able to hold water and oxygen Plentiful in nutrients Aka-Topsoil, upper horizon

Soil-Quality depends on Parent material What is the soil made of? Inorganic:Solid bedrock, gravel, sand, clay, silt Organic: Humus organic matter broken down from decomposing plants and animals to form fertile soil, black dirt Organic matter is that which is or was once living, contains carbon

Permeability Sand: The water poured right through the sand, and filled the bottom of the beaker. Sand has a high permeability. Clay: The water stayed on top of the clay. Clay is impermeable. Mixed ground: water is absorbed by the mixed ground (soaks in)

Spaces between particles The ability of water to flow through a soil is referred to as the soil's permeability. As you can probably guess, the permeability of gravel is higher than that of clay Just as the porosity of a soil affects how much water it can hold, it also affects how quickly water can flow through the soil.

Porosity

Erosion Erosion is the displacement of soil by wind or water Prevention: Shelterbelts Reshaping of waterways Zero tillage Seed Drill

Shelterbelt-Fairview AB

Zero tillage-seed drill

Summer fallow Ploughing a field to bury weeds, and not planting a crop that year Crop rotation to prevent nutrient depletion by a particular species of plant (often farmers will just use lots of fertilizer)

Forage is to Allow a field to grow legumes and grasses grazing by cows increases their “organic fertilizer” contributions

Salinization Over-irrigation can cause the water to dissolve minerals in the ground, which are carried to a nearby pond As water evaporates in a pond, the salt is left behind